Vertical-locking rail-joint.



G. H. HOELSOHEIL VERTICAL LOOKING RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1913.

1,088,989, Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

WHWHZAOQO flue 1mm s TTTED STATES PATENT OFTQE.

GO'ITLIEB H. I-IOELSGI-IER, OF HAWARDEN, IOWA, ASSI'GNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO A. D. HORTON AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN SMITH, BOTH OF I-IAWARDEN, IOWA.

VERTICAL-LOCKING RAIL-JOINT.

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To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GOTTLIEB H. HO1 EL- SOHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hawarden, in the county of Sioux, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vertical-Locking Rail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Wlll enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to vertical-locking rail joints, and it more particularly relates to an improved form of boltless railway rails formed with interlocking means whereby they are secured together.

An object of the invention is to provide railway rails each having a recess in one end and being formed with a tongue on its other end, in such relation that the rails must be placed at an angle to each other in a vertical plane, in order that they may be fitted and locked together or disengaged from each other.

Another object is to provide a rail joint of this character having curved surfaces which are adapted to be fitted together and which are adapted to slide upon each other during the operation of connecting and locking the rails together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rail joint of this character in which each rail end constitutes a support for the contiguous rail end, and at the same time prevents relative lateral movement of the rail ends.

Another object of the invention is to provide for expansion and contraction, and at the same time to bridge the gap between the rail ends when they have been separated by contraction.

Another object is to provide a rail joint of this character which is simple of construction, comparatively inexpensive, strong and thoroughly etficient.

Other objects and advantages may be recited hereinafter and in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which supplement this specification: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating two adjacent rail ends in position for being locked together; these rail ends being constructed according to a simple form and embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 27, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914;.

Serial No. 770,216.

tional view through the rail joint in locked position. Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the invention, and Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 2, of the modified torm illustrated in Fig.

:teferring to these drawings, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts, throughout the several views: One of the rail ends illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a thickened extension 5 of the rail web having a locking lug 6 extending therefrom in the longitudinal direction of the rail, and this locking lug is provided with a depending shoulder 7 whereby a notch or horizontally extending groove 8 is formed. The locking lug is formed with a central and upstanding rib 9 which terminates at the base of the rail head or tread portion 10. Extending upward from the rib 9 is a recess 01' vertical groove 11, terminating at the top of the rail tread. The lower portion 12, on which the shoulder 7 is formed, is reduced in width, so that a shoulder 13 is formed at opposite sides of the locking lug. The lower surface of the shoulder 7 lies in a plane above the base flange 14 of the rail. The rail end 15 comprises a thickened portion 16, corresponding in thickness with the thickened portion 5. This thickened portion is formed with a recess 17, and within this recess is a shoulder 18 and a resultant groove 19. This rail end is formed with upstanding flanges 20 at opposite sides of the shoulder 18, and terminating in a plane above the top of said shoulder 18. The end portion 15 is provided with depending flanges 21 and a resultant groove 22 therebetween. Extending upward from the top of the groove 22 is a semi-cylindrical rib or tongue 23.

When the adjacent ends of the rails are slightly elevated, as in Fig. 8, the rails lie in different planes, at a slight angle to each other, so that the lugs 7 and 18 may be caused to pass each other while inserting the locking lug of one rail section into the recess of the other rail section, and when thus inserted, the shoulders 7 and 18 are in terlocked with each other, while the flanges 20 embrace the reduced portion 12, the shoulders 13 rest upon the respective flanges 20, the rib 9 being seated between the flanges 21, and the vertical tongue 23 fits within the groove 11. Now, it will be seen that the top surfaces of the locking lug and its upstanding rib are evenly curved or convexed, while the undersurfaces of the: flanges 21 and the surfaces between the flanges are evenly curved or concaved; so that during the operation of moving the rail ends into engagement, the convexed surface slides easily against the concaved surface, so as to avoid any interruption or inconvenience in locking the rails.

The width of the grooves S and 19 is greater than the width of the shoulders or abutments 7 and 13, so that a locking lug is free to move in the longitudinal direction of the rails within the apertured rail end, so as to provide for expansion and contraction; but it is obvious that the interlocking and snugly fitting elements 9, 12 and 23 within the respective recesses and grooves effectually prevent lateral movement or vertical movement of the rail ends with relation to each other. Moreover, it is obvious that the longitudinal movement is limited by the interlocking shoulders, so that it is M- possible to separate the rail ends without first moving one of the rail ends upward with relation to the contiguous rail end, so as to allow the concaved surfaces and convexed surfaces to slide upon each other while the interlocking shoulders are being disengaged from each other.

In lieu of the previously described structure, I may provide the rails with thickened web portions 25, each of which is provided with a locking lug 27 and a recess 28. These locking lugs are provided with curved or convexed surfaces 29 and 30 and with shoulders 31. The convexed surface 29 constitutes the top of a flange which forms the outer extremity of the vertical plane surface 32, which latter constitutes the inner wall of the recess and one side wall of the lug 27. Between the shoulder 31 and the recess 28 is an upstanding shoulder 33, while between the shoulders 31 and 33 is a notch 34, and within the recess 28, behind the shoulder 33, is a recess 35. A depending flange 36 extends downward from the rail head 10, while between said flange 36 and the verti cal surface 32 is a niche 37 The wall of the recess 28 is concaved at 38 and adapted to have the convexed portion 30 of the contiguous rail section snugly fitted therein, while the element 29 is adapted to fit snugly with in the niche 37. A vertical shoulder 39 is formed on each rail head 10 and extends from the niche 37 to the rail tread surface. It will be seen that the shoulder 39 is in the same vertical plane with the surface 32, and the vertical surface thereof faces in the op-' posite direction to the surface 32, and it will also be seen that the vertical surfaces which constitute the end of each rail section lie in spaced and parallel vertical planes.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in this modified form, each rail is provided with counterpart end portions and connecting elements, so that any rail may be fitted to either end of any other rail of this kind, and that the rails may be reversed, and are completely and perfectly interchangeable. Moreover, it is obvious that it is impossible to separate these rails or to move them laterally with relation to each other without moving them out of alinement or at an angle to each other. It follows, therefore, that a railroad constructed with these rails is substantially proof against train wreck ing by the operation of disconnecting the rails, since so much work and time would be consumed in severing the rails or in loosening them sufficiently for raising them to the angle required for disconnecting them, that it would render the operation of train wreclc ing too tedious, laborious and perilous for the train wreckers.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a rail joint of this character which is fully capable of attaining the desired objects, in a thoroughly practical and eflicient manner.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as herewith illustrated and described, but my invention may only be limited by a reasonable interpretation of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a rail joint, a plurality of rails each having its web thickened at the ends thereof, one said thickened end being provided with a locking lug having a depending shoulder thereon, said locking lug having an upwardly convexed surface, the other thickened rail end having a recess formed therein and being provided with an upstanding shoulder within the recess and with a flange at a side of the shoulder, a depending flange at a side of the top of the recess, said depending fiange being formed with a concaved lower surface, so that two rails may be fitted together by causing the depending shoulder of one rail to pass over the upstanding shoulder of the other rail while the convexed surface of one rail slides upon the concaved surface of the other.

2. A rail having counterpart end portions each of which is formed with a recess having a vertical wall which is extended in the longitudinal direction of the rail and beyond the rail head for forming a locking lug, said locking lug having an upwardly convexed surface and a depending shoulder, an upstanding shoulder within the recess, an upstanding flange on the locking lug, and a depending flange spaced apart from the vertical wall, whereby either end of one rail may be joined with either end of a similar rail by causing the depending locking lugs to pass over the upstanding locking lugs and to interlock therewith while the convened surface oi. each rail end slides upon the coneaved surface of the contiguous rail section.

3. A rail having counterpart end portions each formed with a locking lug and a contiguous recess adapted to receive a similar locking lug, said locking lug being formed With a depending shoulder, an upstanding shoulder within the recess, a depending flange at the top of the recess and a vertical shoulder extending from. the top of the recess to the top of the rail thread whereby tWo similar rails may have their ends united by moving the lug of each rail into the recess of the other rail and engaging the dependin shoulder of each rail with the upstanding shoulder of the other and inter-lapping the shoulder of one rail head with that of the other.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of Witnesses.

GOTTLIEB H. HOELSCHER.

lVitnesses A. D. HoRToN, R. L. BRooKs, Jon HORTON.

tender or this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addrening the Commissioner of .Pntente Washington, D. C. 

